Smarter Material Management

Home Depot has rolled out a new AI tool for planning renovation materials, built into its Project Planning feature on desktop and mobile. You describe a project by typing or speaking, in most languages, and it generates a material list. For simple items like plumbing pipes and fittings, it picks specific products automatically. For things where style matters, like cabinets and hardware, it gives you a few options to choose from. The tool also lets a "Quote" feature lock in pricing for seven days while you finalize choices and generate a purchase order. It does not yet calculate dimensions or quantities, so you still need to figure out how much of each material you need.

A tech editor at Fine Homebuilding tested it by describing a kitchenette project, and the tool caught some items easily overlooked, including grout sealer, spackle, outlet plates, and a towel bar, and it asked about cleanup supplies and offered mini fridge options. It missed smaller hardware like screws and shims.

For a homeowner planning a project and shopping at Home Depot, this is a free planning aid rather than a design or budgeting tool. It won't replace your own measurements or a contractor's material takeoff, but it can help you build a more complete shopping list before you head to the store, and cut down on the extra trips for forgotten items. It's tied to Home Depot's Pro Xtra membership program, so it's worth checking whether you already have access through that account.